Review of Silver Cloud - Dec 22 to Jan 5

[NJBelle]

As previously promised, here is a more detailed review of the Silver Cloud cruise from Dec 22 through Jan 5. My time to put this together is rather limited, so I have allowed myself an hour for this. So, it will not be as detailed as some may like, but at least I will try to hit the major points. (This has also given me a new appreciation for all those people who do take the time to share their experiences with others!).

 

Overall, the cruise was just wonderful. Many things were just great and almost could not be improved upon. Others were not the best in the industry, but that may have been due to the size of the ship (300 passengers) and what is possible for that size of ship. There were a couple of things that Silversea could fix and one that they MUST fix. (More on all of those in the review later on).

 

We are in our early 50's and have a 13 year old daughter. This was our 13th cruise (7 on Crystal, 4 on Regent and 2 on SS), and our 5th holiday cruise.

 

General: The itinerary started in Cape Town and included Namibia; the rest of the stops were South African ports. Total length was 14 days, with 5 full sea days and several half sea days; we had 3 overnights in Walvis Bay, Richards Bay and Cape Town. The ship was full and there was a festive air. Nice, but not over the top decorations. Passenger mix was heavily international. I did not do an analysis of the passenger list, but it seemed like it was about 40% American, lots of Brits and Aussies, a fair number of Italians and the rest from various places around the world. (There was one group - a networking group from the US; this was about 70 passengers total, so that really made up the majority of the American passengers. And contrary to some other "groups", this one was very nice, congenial, etc. No problems whatsoever. I did hear one night that they had had a special barbeque set up on the pool deck, but that was only in response to my observation to the head waiter that the Dining Room seemed quiet.) There were not many kids on this cruise (and we really had not expected that there would be). Because this was an active port cruise (lots of game drives, etc) and Cape Town is also not the easiest city to get to, I wonder if that is why we didn't see a lot of really elderly passengers. I don't recall but maybe one wheel chair, and no scooters. (On our holiday Caribbean cruises, the scooters would just about get into gridlock at mealtimes sometimes). Therefore, even though the average age was likely what many other cruises are, it was due to a clustering around a 50-70 age range and to the lack of really young passengers and really old passengers.

 

There were 4 formal nights, 5 informal and 5 casual nights. On formal nights, we noticed that about 75% of the men wore tuxedos (or similar national/cultural formal ware). I guess because it was a holiday cruise, it was more formal; we also noticed that on "casual" night, some of the women were really in more "informal" mode, but there is always a variation. In general, this was a pretty formally dressing crowd.

 

Service: I have previously said the service was the best we have ever had on any cruise. When we were on SS before, the service was good, but it was a bit cold and more aloof. Now there are more Filipino staff and I believe they have brought a warmth to the overall service. We had noticed the infusion of Filipino staff in the dining room on Regent a couple of years ago, and while they were very eager to serve, they did not have the polish and skill sets of the more European staff that we had been used to on Crystal. Now, I think that the polish, warmth and skill sets are all there - it was the whole package on this SS cruise. Again, I cannot think of a single time anyone said "no" to me. One morning, the seas were a little rough and I didn't feel like having a big breakfast. I went to the Panorama Lounge and asked for some ginger herbal tea. The waiter went away and then came back and said that while they didn't have any ginger tea bags, he would be happy to make me up a ginger infusion - and he went and minced some fresh ginger and made me tea on the spot. Hedi, the Maitre'D, was excellent - seemed he always turned up just when my daughter was getting ready to cut her steak or chicken (I was afraid that she would still be looking for Hedi once we got home!) And one final example, on New Year's Eve, we had a lovely fixed menu (choice of main course) but as it turns out, none of the courses was really going to be what my daughter was interested in. But the waiter didn't blink an eye and the kitchen happily turned up with a whole separate meal for my daughter on the spot. Also, noticed lots of nice touches - there was not a paper napkin to be found anywhere on the ship. For drinks, anything - always received a nice folded cloth napkin. Around the bar, they used a very high quality polycarbonate "glassware" - so that no one would ever have to worry about stepping on any glass.

 

Also, our stewardess was the best we have ever had. On all of our previous cruises, we have found the stewardesses to be the most "hit or miss". Some speak very little English and others are not very efficient, etc. This time we hit the jackpot - ours was just wonderful. I like it on SS when they have the stewardess accompanied by an assistant - that way, even though they have more rooms to handle, they can get in and out of each room very quickly. We were never inconvenienced a single time, and anything we asked for, arrived very quickly.

 

Also, room service is great on SS. The waiter comes quickly and brings tablecloth, etc and sets up a nice table wherever you want it - either on the table in the sitting area, or outside on the verandah.

 

Suites: These was just lovely - we like the Regent and Silversea suites much better than Crystal - bigger with other extras. We like the walk-in closet and the closing draperies between the sitting area and the sleeping area. Traveling with a teenager, it was great to be able to close the curtains and then when we got up earlier than she did, she could continue to sleep. Same if she wanted to go to bed earlier than we - or stay up later - we didn't disturb each other. The bathrooms on the Cloud are not as big as the Whisper, but ours was fine, and worked for us. Temperature of room was no problem. I was going to report that the bedspreads were tired, but on the morning we were disembarking, they were changing out all the mattresses and bedspreads across the whole ship.

 

Here is the thing that SS HAS to fix: I went down half way during the cruise to do laundry. There is only one laundry room on the whole ship, but since it is a small ship, I figured that would be okay. I had to plot to be able to get two machines at one time - and considered myself lucky when I got there first thing in the AM and was able to snag 2 machines. Well, 3 hours later, my clothes were still not dry. The washing machines were fine, but the dryers really didn't dry. I found out later that it was well known that "the ones on the end" didn't dry well.....and of course, I got the ones on the end. I complained to the front desk and to the Cruise Consultant and also put in on my response card at the end of the cruise. It is just unacceptable for passengers on a luxury cruise to have crappy old machines which do not dry as their only option besides sending all dirty clothes to be laundered by the cruise ship for a price. The Cruise Consultant thought that they might be replacing them in the next dry dock, but that is not until spring of 2009, and I don't think SS should wait on something like this. This might require ordering some parts/new machines, and closing down the laundry for a day or two - but that is better that passengers having to waste so much time waiting for clothes to dry and then having to spread wet underwear around their suites when they finally give up! Okay, enough on that.

 

Food: Was excellent without caveat. Tobias Schreiber is the new chef on the Cloud, but we had known him from Regent. He has a great personality and we really enjoyed the cooking demos that he did (2 on the 14 day cruise). The pastry chef was also fabulous - and every night there would be a special chocolate offering. My daughter and I will always have the night we ate 2 "assiettes de chocolat" each as a fond memory. In fact, the pastry chef was probably too good (judging from the scale!).

 

Wine: the house champagne pour is Pommery. I found it to be a bit sweet, so was happy with the Mumm's. (But for any people about to go on SS, you have to ASK for the Mumm's or they will serve the Pommery). There was some Nicholas Feuillate, but they didn't get a big shipment of that, so I didn't get to have that but a couple of times. The other complimentary wines were excellent. Lots of South African wines, and the Head Sommelier, Ana, did a nice wine tasting on SA wines. During the tasting, she also popped the cork off a champagne bottle (actually took the glass end of the bottle off) by rubbing a knife along the seam of the bottle. It was very dramatic and I had never seen that demonstrated before. Bar service everywhere was fast, and we drank only one beer from our room supplies. I did order some wine for lunch from room service and they brought a whole bottle - even though it was only for me. (In case, you are wondering, I didn't drink it all!)

 

Entertainment: Here is where you can tell this is a small ship. There was a show each evening, but the quality varied. We are not ones to always go to shows, and if fact, prefer the piano bar type of entertainment after dinner. We like the entertainment like in the Avenue Saloon on Crystal or in the various lounges on Regent. Even on our last SS cruise on the Whisper, there was a singer/piano player we enjoyed. Alas, they only had a piano player - who was quite competent, but we didn't feel a rapport and so didn't go listen to him but once. We found that we enjoyed the dinners so much, that we would linger with coffee, dessert, enjoying the last of our wine, etc - if we were not going to the show. So, it worked out okay, but we would have liked the option of a cabaret type of offering.

 

Lectures: On this cruise, we had an excellent lecturer - Andrew Roberts. He is a historian from London who has written a number of books on modern historical topics. He had a dry sense of humor and an nice speaking style and we enjoyed every one of his 4 lectures. The only problem is that he was the only one on this cruise. For such a long cruise, SS should have had more than one lecturer.

 

Excursions: These were good and there were always SS staff along with the passengers. No particular comments on this, except to say that we were very pleased with what we did. I mentioned earlier that we went on 3 day safaris and while they were all similar in some ways, they were all different in others and we enjoyed every minute. Oh! I should mention the complimentary excursion on Christmas Eve. SS used buses and 4x4s to get us all out on the Namib Desert. It was just a fabulous evening. We left the little town of Walvis Bay and then before we knew it, we were seeing the rolling sand dunes like something out of a movie. When we arrived at the tents, there was music, local singers in African dress, flowing wine, lots of food - and camels to ride! All of us rode at different times (our daughter was out climbing the huge sand dune while my husband and I rode) and we all thought it was very cool. The colors of the evening as the sun went down and the magic in the air are just indescribable. I think this is something that SS offers every time it goes to Namibia, so if you even have a chance to go, don't miss it.

 

Misc: On SS, there are not art auctions, photo taking or strolling musicians in the Dining Room. I was happy about that, and did not miss that in the least!

 

Smoking: I was worried that because Regent has tightened up its smoking restrictions, all the smokers might flock to SS and then it would be very uncomfortable for non-smokers. While I saw a few people smoking, they did stay in the designated areas and it was not bothersome. The only time that someone was really rude was an Italian woman who was smoking in the long line for the toilet during one of the stops on an excursion. I was coming out of the bathroom at the time, so was glad to be able to keep moving.

 

Tips: Of course, SS is an all-inclusive line, so we did not tip the staff. However, I do have one quick anecdote for those who are wondering how to reward great service. Because it was a holiday cruise, I did take little Christmas bags for the 2 stewardess and put money and a couple of pieces of candy in each and gave that to them on Christmas morning. They nicely thanked me and that was that. After the first few days of the cruise, SS sends out an interim "how are we doing" survey and I saw that it suggested that in addition to any complaints, that if there were any staff members to commend, they would be happy to hear about that as well. One of the people that I highlighted was the aforementioned great stewardess. I had forgotten about that until the next day, when she practically rushed up to me to thank me for my kind words and recommendation in the survey. So, if anyone is ever wondering what is more valuable to them - that showed me that she had been happier about the recommendation than the money (although, I am sure that she was happy to have both!). So, if there are people who are making you happy on a cruise, be sure to mention them by name in those written surveys - it does count a lot, it seems.

 

Okay, my time is up. As you see, except for dryers, it was a heavenly cruise. We are signed up for another SS cruise next Christmas as well! Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Best, NJBelle

[johnnycruise]

NJBelle,

 

Thanks for writing your review - it sounds like your family had a really good time and SS took great care of you. Which ports were your favorites?

 

johnny

[duct tape]

I loved your review! Beem home for a week and we join the Whisper in another 2...what a comfort!

[meow!]

NJBelle:

Thank you kindly for such a concise yet comprehensive review. We really enjoyed reading it. By the way, did you try the "zero-zero ice cream"? (The one with no sugar or fat added, and low in colories and cholesterol). It really tasted quite good, and many people loved it on our voyage!

[lord of the seas]

A very good review,although I can't see why you would want to go on Holiday and spend any time in a Laundry.I can understand if you are on a lesser line and are on a budget,but a luxury line,No way.

[DebbieH103]

Wonderful review. Sounds like a nice cruise. I have a few questions.

 

What did they do for Christmas itself? Did they have any carols? A special dinner?

 

Did your daughter hang out with you and your husband or did she do her own thing?

 

We loved our desert safari in Dubai, and I am hoping to do another one on our Africa cruise in 2009 on Wind.

[NJBelle]

Hi everyone,

 

Thanks for the comments. (Actually I just noticed in my review that I have "these was just lovely" for the suites....don't know how to correct that to "these were just lovely" but if Dan can do that for me, I will be less embarrassed).

 

Let's see - favorite ports: The safaris were just great, and I mentioned about them in an earlier post on the SS board. My daughter liked the Inkwenkwezi safari from East London (since we saw lions there, she got to play with cub cheetahs and she got to sit on a female ostrich) and my husband and I slightly preferred the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi game reserve (from Richards Bay). But frankly, all the South African ports were only interesting to use as a base to go somewhere else (like the safaris); the towns themselves were less interesting with the exception of Cape Town. Cape Town is wonderful. We were glad to have spent 2 days there in advance of the cruise, and then during the overnight, we saw a lot of the countryside. I had reserved a car and driver in advance, so we were able to do the Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, the penguins at Boulders and also spend several hours in Stellenbosch - all in one day. (Yes, we covered some major ground, but when you are not waiting for everyone to reload busses, you can move pretty quickly). I would love to go back to Cape Town and see everything we missed the first time. We stayed in the Table Bay Hotel and not only did we think it was fabulous, but we loved looking out the window and seeing the Silver Cloud only yards away!

 

No, I didn't eat the zero-zero ice cream - clearly I should have! Next time I will have to do more z-z ice cream and less of all the other stuff I ate.

 

Our daughter actually spent a lot of time with us. We thought she would do more room service while watching DVDs (one of her favorite cruise things to do), but she really only did that one night. Most nights she wanted to see what was going on. She really like the dining room staff, and they spoiled her with Shirley Temples at the ready, personal baskets of breadsticks and the previously mentioned cutting of meat. And she went on all the excursions with us (which I had chosen with that in mind). So we had a lot of family time, which was great. However, she did things on her own as well. The Bridge instructor's suite was right next to ours and they invited her to come to lessons. She started popping up out of bed for the 9:30 start and then after her bridge lessons, off she would go to ping pong, and then wherever else you could win points/tokens. She knew more staff and passengers than we did by the time the cruise was over, and more people gave HER their business cards than they did to us!

 

As far as holiday activities, these were pretty low key, except for the meals. The Christmas Eve dinner on the Namib Desert was fantastic, and then on Christmas Night, they had a Gala Dinner. There was a Catholic service in the late afternoon and then general service after than. Then at dinner that night, Santa made the rounds and handed out presents to the kids (our daughter at 13, made the cut). Finally, after dinner, there was a piano concert followed by a SS staff Carol sing. It was really wonderful to see the staff on the stage (and many of them took their free time to come out and sing).

 

For the person with the laundry question, maybe you don't have a teenage daughter and maybe you don't work out in the gym everyday, but there are some items that do need to get laundered when on the road for over two weeks. Usually this is not a big deal and on Regent and Crystal, there are multiple machines on every floor, so it is a matter of dropping them in before going to the gym or to lunch or whatever, and then one of the other family members may return to put in the dryer, etc. So, really not much problem and doing laundry once keeps us from overloading our suitcases with so many Tee shirts, polo shirts and underwear. Yes, we could send these to the laundry, but think $2 for a pair of panties is a bit much. My point was not whether one who can afford to go on a cruise like this can also afford to send things to the laundry, but that a luxury cruise ships should have machinery in place that actually works properly.

 

Hope that answers all the questions for now!

 

Best, NJBelle

[CASHIPman]

Hi NJBelle...

Thanks for your review!

Was this the cruise with the Motown group on board?

[lord of the seas]

 

My point was not whether one who can afford to go on a cruise like this can also afford to send things to the laundry, but that a luxury cruise ships should have machinery in place that actually works properly.

 

Hope that answers all the questions for now!

 

Best, NJBelle

 

Silversea do not really want to provide a good working machine and are not in a hurry to fix a broken one when they provide a laundry/dry clean service that brings in money.I do agree with you about the price of small items.

[chicagogal]

Thanks for doing this detailed review. We have been on Silversea before and are now considering the Holiday sailing from Cape Town next Dec 20th so I found this extremely helpful!

[e.h. beach bum]

We were on the cloud directly after you. We also encountered the "laundry problem" Having been on 5 or 6 SS cruises I found the food and the saff, with the exception of the hotel mgr, the best so far. The chef, Tobias, was excellen but he did leave the Cloud at the end of our cruise for another SS ship. My major complaint was the internet being expensive and VERY slow. I brought my own laptop & was greatly disappointed in the slowness and the fact that skype was blocked. I also resented having Al Jazeera broadcast on tv. It is clearly anti American and anti semitic. The entertainment was fair but all in all it was avery worthwhile cruise, 'tho the ports were uninspiring. Do however spend 2 days or more in Cape Town. It is beautiful, friendly and good food & wines and not too expensive. The Cape Grace Hotel is the best. Very upscale.

[NJBelle]

Hi there, too bad that Tobias has moved on to bigger and better things on Silversea, I guess. But at least, we got to enjoy his talents! I would love to think he would be back on the Cloud over the holidays at the end of this year (since we will be on the South American cruise at that time), but that may be hoping too much.

 

We never watched the TV, so can't comment on that. As you know, I agree that evening entertainment could be improved.

 

Still have to say that I would be back on Cloud in a second if it would be possible!

 

Best, NJBelle

[MJN1]

"I also resented having Al Jazeera broadcast on tv."

 

I hope that the principles of freedom of speech and democracy always voiced by our USA friends apply to everyone... Fox TV isn't everybody's favorite either! :rolleyes:

[wripro]

The nice thing about the TVs on SS is that they have a remote. If you don't like the channel press a button and PRESTO! it disappears. That's my advice to Family Values people who object to certain programs on American TV and to anyone who doesn't like Al Jazeera!

[LaPaloma]

I have to agree with "The Lord" on this one. I would never spend a moment of my time in the pit they call the laundry room. I had no choice on one SB cruise..as the airlines had left my large canvas suite case in the rain...and EVERYTHING was soaked. I had to work at it to salvedge my wardrobe. It was so bad with dyes running and all, that it was too much to leave to the staff to care for. Luckily I was able to save all but one garment. We have found the laundry and dry cleaning to be efficient and not expensive..so have always relied on them.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

On the Regent Mariner the laundry rooms were awesome, best iron I've ever used. Normally I don't go near the laundry room or an iron at home but I found doing a few loads relaxing, while my darling wife was in the shower for hours or blow-drying her hair....

[lord of the seas]

On the Regent Mariner the laundry rooms were awesome, best iron I've ever used. Normally I don't go near the laundry room or an iron at home but I found doing a few loads relaxing, while my darling wife was in the shower for hours or blow-drying her hair....

 

How Sad :(

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

We had 220 lbs of luggage for a 10 day cruise and my DW still ran out of clean things :eek: